


#fictober18 - Sixteen - "This is gonna be so much fun."

by khurst



Series: #fictober18 [16]
Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Episode: s03e15 Coda, F/M, I accidentally made this angsty, Ooops, if you think I can do humour you're grossly mistaken
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-16
Updated: 2018-10-16
Packaged: 2019-08-03 01:21:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16316417
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khurst/pseuds/khurst
Summary: #fictober18 piece to the prompt: "This is gonna be so much fun."I changed it to be grammatically correct to fit my character's speech pattern!If you thought I would take this down a humorous path you must not have met me.





	#fictober18 - Sixteen - "This is gonna be so much fun."

**Author's Note:**

> as usual unabashedly unbeta'd

“This is going to be so much fun!”

He could practically feel the sarcasm dripping from her voice.

“We don’t have to do this.” He meant it. He felt as uncomfortable as she looked, but they were both aware that whoever had put them on the list in the first place knew they would go through with it.

The moment Neelix had read the list to the assembled audience and stumbled over their performance, Chakotay had seen Kathryn’s face go white and her hands clench into fists. It had only been a moment - a long moment in which he had wondered which member of their crew had such a warped sense of humour - before her captain’s mask slid into place and she smiled at her crew members as if it had been her idea in the first place.

Now she stood before him trembling as if she feared for her life. But she put on a brave face and straightened her shoulders.

“I don’t want to do this,” he argued in another attempt to get her to put a stop to this. She shook her head. Neither did she. But this wasn’t just about them. This was about crew morale and about question neither of them was ready to answer.

“Just make sure you have it on the lowest stun setting.” She tried to give him a smile but ended up in a grimace. If he found out who did this, he’d make their life a living hell.

The crowd cheered as they stepped out, but Chakotay could see Tuvok and the Doctor exchanging worried glances. For the rest of them, this was harmless fun. They had no idea of the significance.

Her hands were curiously calm as she set the apple on her head, her eyes fixed on Chakotay’s face. She stood ramrod straight, not daring to move a fraction of an inch. Chakotay checked the settings on the phaser one last time and gave her a reassuring nod. There was no danger even if his aim was off. He’d be damned if it was, though.  He would not miss that apple. He would not become Captain today. Or any day if he had any say.

Despite the trust in her eyes, he saw the panic rise. He wanted to give her time to break this off, but her gaze begged him to get it over with. He broke off eye contact, aimed at the apple, took a deep breath and pressed the trigger.

The blood rushing in his ears was deafening. He couldn’t hear anything else. Against his own volition his eyes had squeezed shut at the last second and when he opened them it took him a moment to focus. When he finally did, he sprung into action.

Her gaze was locked on him, unblinking, unmoving. He immediately saw the shock for what it was. They should have never done this.

He took her hand and pulled her down to bow with him. Her cold clammy hands in his warm and sweaty palm. He met no resistance. She moved with him and then let him lead her out of the room amidst the crew's clapping, cheering and whistling.

When they were out of sight and earshot, he leaned her back against the bulkhead and grasped her shoulders. “Kathryn?” Upon hearing her name, she finally took a deep, gulping breath.

“I tried not to look at the phaser,” the words finally tumbled out, “but I couldn’t help it.”

Her eyes had betrayed her the very moment Chakotay had pressed the trigger and despite her rational mind knowing better, she had expected to die. Her brain had transported her right back into the nightmare she had lived through just a few days earlier.

Her hand clasped over her mouth in an attempt to stifle the quiet anguished moan. Chakotay quickly pulled her close to him not caring if anyone saw them.

“Do you require assistance?” Kathryn scattered out of Chakotay’s embrace when Tuvok’s voice interrupted them. A quick survey of the area assured them the Chief of Security was the only one in sight.

“I will be alright, Tuvok.” The slight tremor in her voice betrayed her attempt to assure her friend, and it did not go unnoticed.

“I trust you will take care of this.” Chakotay’s tone left no room for speculation about what he expected. They were all aware that this was no coincidence but a calculated move. Whoever was responsible, had broken through the security level of both their reports. And neither Tuvok nor the Doctor, who were the only other crew members aware of this specific detail, would be capable of something so twisted.

“That was my intention, Commander.” The men shared a quick nod before Tuvok stepped away, both noting that while Kathryn had put some distance between herself and Chakotay, her hand had not let go of her tight grip on Chakotay’s arm.

Before anyone else could find them, Chakotay took her hand and led her towards the turbolift. Once they were safely inside her quarters, Chakotay sat her down on her couch and got her a coffee from the replicator. He pressed the steaming cup into her hands and sat down in the chair across from her.

Both hands on her knees, his thumb gently tracing patterns through the black material of her uniform pants he watched her inhale the calming scent of the coffee. She savoured her first sip and he let the slow relaxing of her posture calm himself down as well. He tightened his hands on her knees and made her look up at him.

She was alive and it was over. They had not given in and whoever had done this, had not won.

“I will never let this happen again,” he declared with an intensity that promised he’d rather give his life than have anyone or anything harm her in any way again.

  



End file.
